Once Upon a Time
by Mslead
Summary: The evil queen cast a dark curse, robbing all those who lived in the land of their memories of who they were and the happy endings they fought hard to achieve. Only the Savior, unaware of her role in these events, can break the curse and help them remember who they are in a Land without Magic. She is the only hope of finding their happy endings. NALU (Based off OUAT)
1. Hot Chocolate

_**AN: I was alerted that I didn't put my disclaimer here. Herp derp~ whoops. I forget this isn't the first place I post my stuff so my Authors Notes get lost sometimes. This fic is based off the TV series by the same name, Once Upon a Time. So it will follow the same format as the show itself does. It may not follow the same plot in the same ways, I like deconstructing things sometimes and Lucy is very different from Emma.**_

_**For future references, I will put a disclaimer in my profile so I don't irritate anyone.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Once Upon a Time**_

Once Upon a Time there was a beautiful goddess, with hair spun from the stars. The sun itself shone in her eyes, and her smile was silvery like the moon reflecting off a dark lake. So gorgeous was she, it was said that a single favorable smile from her could capture the hearts of mortal men from its brilliance alone. Furthermore, rumors of the goddess' kindness spread far and wide through every corner of the mortal kingdom. Her name was Layla, Queen of the Stars and Ruler of Worlds.

Suitors of all kinds flooded against the gates of the celestial realm. They flocked to the gates in hope they would be granted admittance to so much as look upon the goddess' beauty. Not all their actions were pure. Some men were overcome by lust, others by greed, but what drew the darkness of mortals hearts to her more often than anything else, was power.

The realm of the stars connected all worlds together. Just as water flowed through each world, nourishing life on the surface, the stars did much the same. It was a single unifying factor, a portal to all the worlds. To have such power at ones fingertips, any human could become a god.

So Layla breathed life into thirteen of her favored stars. The twelve zodiacs rose from the heavens, while the thirteenth star took to the ground, living among the mortals. This one was Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer. Her mission was to gather knowledge on the humans. Those that remained stood by Layla's side as her twelve guardians.

Together they shielded her from those who would do her harm, and in thanks, she gave them the ability to dictate who was worthy of holding her throne. For a time they were happy together, spirits and goddess, living above the world in the stars.

Until one day Layla fell in love.

The man was a poor merchant with a shrewd sense of humor, a kind heart, and a loving nature. He was clever, and Layla knew one day he would find success for himself. His kind hearted and driven nature was more than indication for her to deem him worthy of gracing him with her time.

Despite his relation to her, the man never once asked for anything from her. He was content to simply exist in her presence, and she his.

This caused worried murmuring among her spirits. They were concerned for her safety, and for good reason. Outside of the celestial realm, Layla was left in a weakened state. They could not easily defend her outside of her kingdom in the sky. It was also a fear of theirs that one day those wishing to do her harm would take advantage of her relationship to the mortal man.

First Leo, the leader of the Zodiac, pleaded with his mistress to be careful; she soothed a hand through his hair to reassure the mighty lion. Then the others followed with warnings and concerns of their own. All of which landed on the ears of the love struck goddess. She understood what they said, why they said it, and for what reason. But true love was never easy, and her heart had decided on what she wanted long before her rational mind could catch up.

The talks ended with Aquarius. Known as the most abrasive of Layla's spirits, she had the power to turn entire tides of oceans down onto those she deemed unworthy of her precious time or space. She was outspoken and she argued with Layla about how mortals could only lead her astray.

But Layla was not angry with Aquarius. She embraced the water spirit and told her one day she would know the love she felt.

So together Layla and her mortal married with the stars as witness. It was said the night sky glittered like diamonds against a velvet blanket that day. Together, they conceived a child. A little girl who would rule over the stars when Layla stepped down from her throne.

But as the goddess grew heavy with pregnancy, visions of the future came to her. Her divine sight troubled her. Many of the visions were disjointed and impossible for her to discern. Each time she delved into the future, its path became more and more uncertain until a gray fog too thick to see through settled over it.

Only one thing was certain. A terrible battle fast approached, between herself an evil queen. It would be marked upon the day of her daughter's birth when the goddess would be at her weakest. Bringing life, even divine, into the world would take a large toll on both Layla's magic and strength.

She would be helpless against the Evil Queen. The woman who approached from beyond the land of Tully, past the guild of Lamia Scale, and into the kingdom of Sabertooth.

There the Queen with dominion over Space would come for her.

So the goddess slaved over her plan to save her family and keep her kingdom safe. She held faith in her loyal stars, those that would one day pick the true leader of her throne. Faithful in her hope, Layla continued to make sense of the fog over her daughter's future.

A dragon.

Fire.

A never-ending adventure.

Whether that adventure brought her daughter joy or sorrow, Layla put all her faith in the child growing in her stomach. She made her decision.

So on the day Layla was to deliver her child; she readied a spell to take both her husband and daughter to a place where the Evil Queen and all of her magic could never hope to touch them.

Layla plucked the star from the heavens, the silver, glittery gem a brilliant beam between her fingers. It was a bustling place, one devoid of magic aside from the scant advances on it. But the world was hearty in other areas, one her daughter could learn many skills.

More important than anything else, her family would be free from the wrath of their enemies.

What went unknown to Layla were forces in the works not even she could control. When the day came, she cast her family away to the Land Without Magic in the hopes they could lead a normal life.

Layla died at the hands of the Evil Queen, not knowing her enemy had a way of following.

Nor that she would follow at the cost of an entire world.

-Thirty Years Later-

On a scale between one to totally fucked, Lucy was scoring somewhere along the lines of 'bend me over.'

Maybe it was just her optimistic outlook on life, but lucy didn't see how her day could get any worse. Her car decided to die in one of the most explosive and dramatic ways the reporter had ever seen. Really, the engine exploded. That wasn't a joke. One moment she had been leaving an old looking diner, a hot chocolate in one hand and her stack of interviews she still had to transcribe in the other — the next her car went boom.

Boom in a big way.

Now lucy was standing in shock, her charred papers floating down around her in ashy confetti. The heat coming from her car was almost overwhelming long after the firefighters came to put it out. It took a few times, but she gave her account on what happened to the fire marshal and grinning lieutenant.

She only stopped in town for a quick bite to eat before hitting the road again. She was supposed to be in New York by morning for her annual meeting with her father. This town was so out of the way, it didn't show up on GPS or any map. It was called Fiore, and it had a quaint small town vibe to it. So she had decided to stop and take a break.

She wasn't looking forward to meeting up with Jude again after being away from home for so long. She left the comfortable life he offered behind her a long time ago. The money she got freelancing as a journalist was not substantial, but every dime she had was one she earned.

Perhaps this was her punishment for putting off meeting with her dad.

Miserable and cold, Lucy watched as the department roped off the smoldering shell of her beloved car. They were arranging to have it towed by the local mechanic, a foul mouthed man with silver piercings jammed in several confusing surfaces on his face. He was a little rude when he gruffly dragged the behind him. The uncomplimentary thought that he had fallen face first in a tackle box floated to her mind before she dismissed it. What was she, five?

A shiver ran up her spine, reminding her that the hot chocolate she bought was ice cold now. Her car had picked the perfect time to implode since winter was just around the corner. It was lucky the diner had an inn around back because she was going to be stuck here for a while until she recovered a new mode of transportation.

A blanket fell over her shoulders.

Blinking, Lucy's fingers caught it around the hem. Her head turned to meet the smiling face of the lieutenant she spoke to earlier. At the confused look in her eyes, the man leaned against the picket fence lucy had taken to standing next.

"You looked cold, don't worry. We've got dozens more blankets in the engine," he nodded to the red vehicle parked nearby.

The gesture was met with gratitude and lucy curled the blanket around her shoulders. She breathed out through her nose, eyes trailing over the firefighter who had come to her 'rescue.' Handsome was an appropriate word for him. He had dark slanted eyes, tanned skin and a smile that could break clouds on the gloomiest day. The oddest thing about him had to be the color of his hair. Pink.

Seeing the direction Lucy's eyes took, the man snorted and pulled a dirty glove through his hair.

"Ah, I knew I should have left the hood and helmet on," He grinned at her, "It's natural. Don't ask how, must be something in the water. We've got a few weird colored heads of hair around here and they're all natural"

Lucy's eyes fastened to the patch on the heavy jacket he wore. Dragneel, "Well thanks for the lesson lieutenant Dragneel, and the blanket."

She watched the man cringe back at the formal title. As if it wounded him in some way. Lucy hid a smile at the way he clutched at his chest. Casual observation told her he was a rule breaker. His hair was wild and he was talking to her like a casual friend. It was like he had no spatial awareness of the arson unit giving her suspicious glares.

The man's jacket was hanging open, giving her a free view of the dark navy shirt and suspenders connecting his bunker gear together. Considering this was still an active scene, Lucy found herself wondering if a clerical error gave him his rank.

"Call me Natsu," he said with a gleaming smile.

Lucy's eyes fell on that sunny grin, but almost fell out of her head when she saw how sharp his teeth were. Long canines — no, fangs — shimmered in the dull light like razors. In her time reporting, Lucy had seen a number of crazies. People who filed their teeth to sharp points, others who altered their body to represent weird tastes. Every time she saw people experiment with themselves, the changes looked out of place or artificial.

Natsu's fangs looked everything but.

They looked strong, with no strange gapes between his teeth from filing. No, they looked natural, as if they were meant to puncture through skin and flesh. It seemed impossible, but was he born with pink hair and unusual fangs? Farfetched to be sure, but Lucy could not see another theory behind it.

Implants?

Dentures?

She opened her mouth to ask him about his weird teeth, the reporter in her buzzing with curiosity. Mysteries. They were her bread and butter. It was what she lived and breathed for, solving curious oddities most people glanced over.

Unfortunately, Natsu's attention turned away from her and towards the gathering crowd, " 'scuse me! Duty calls."

He jogged over towards the line, his gear bouncing along with his movements. It was like a switch flipped in the space it took for him to walk over. He was all confidence and strategy, giving the two rookies under him commands to keep the line at bay. Lucy was so focused on him, she didn't notice the small hand tugging at her skirt at first.

"They call him the Salamander."

A blue haired boy with a green sweatshirt and backpack stood beside her. His eyes were large and black, fathomless like Natsu's. He couldn't have been older than ten and Lucy searched the crowd for his parents. Seeing no worried faces, Lucy decided to talk to the boy until someone came for him. It wasn't like she was doing anything productive anyway, and the only one who bothered to talk to her was in the middle of doing his job.

"Who?" Lucy asked.

The boy shifted his pack on his shoulders and pointed out the subject of her thoughts, "Natsu. They call him the Salamander because he understands fires so well."

Lucy supposed that answered her question why he was lieutenant.

"I see," Lucy smiled at him, and shrugged off the blanket from her shoulders to offer the boy. He looked at it with those dark eyes and smiled, taking it and dragging it around himself like a burrito, "what's your name? I'm Lucy."

"I'm Happy!" He proclaimed with such pride it took her aback. Or maybe it was because the name was so weird.

"That's a strange thing to be called," Lucy smiled at him. The boy's eyes narrowed, but the sly mischief she saw there spoke of nothing good.

"You're the weirdo here," Happy grinned. It almost sounded like a purr escaped his throat, but that was impossible. The way he said that though, there was an edge to his voice. Almost a warning.

He tugged her skirt through the blanket this time, "They call him the Salamander for another reason though, no one can remember."

She waited for him to continue, ignoring the bite of the cold coming from all around. Lucy hoped she would be done waiting soon and the boy's parents would show up. She couldn't wait to get a room at Granny's and pretend her car hadn't pressed the self-destruct button on itself. Natsu was running around, jacket flapping open wide, his radio tangling around his shoulders. He looked so disorganized Lucy couldn't help but laugh.

The smile slipped off her face at her companion's next words. They were spoken in a conspiratorial whisper, so low Lucy had to lean way in to even make them out. Happy breathed out, softer than should have been possible.

"Natsu is a dragon."

Lucy blinked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. But as a reporter, she was professional enough not to scoff outright at a ten year old calling a firefighter a dragon.

Because really? That was a little cute.

Happy did not seem to find it amusing in the least, "You're not ready to know the truth yet."

He bit his bottom lip and curled against Lucy's leg. His dark eyes were locked on Natsu, "But you will… Operation Exceed is a go!"

It seemed the boy needed a little bit of hope in his life. For whatever his reason, it was important to Happy. Lucy couldn't say no to anything he said.

"Will you join?"

Lucy didn't know why this boy wanted her of all people to join. She wasn't that special, but she could hardly resist nodding her consent. It was almost worth watching Happy swirl around her in an excited ball of excitement. The boy used the blanket as a pair of wings, flapping his arms with enthusiasm.

It was hard to explain, but the feeling she got when she nodded her consent to join him with his little project would not go away. The storm was just at the horizon, and Lucy had no idea how badly she would need that blanket from Happy.

Pandora's box had been opened by her small consent.


	2. Daybreak

_In the land of fiore, off the coast of hargeon and past all signs of civilization, a large island laid uninhabited by man. No mortal dared step foot on the volcanic rock for it was home to a nest of dragons. Among those was the king of all fire dragons, Igneel the mighty._

_He commanded a powerful nest of dragons, among those was his own son. The prince of fire dragons, Natsu. The prince himself was passionate and untamed as his element, both in spirit and heart. But it was his playful demeanor that attracted the attention of those who knew him._

_Igneel was well known in many circles. Both good and bad, for the vast treasure he collected in his hoard. People came from far and wide to steal the most dangerous of the magical items he stored away._

_On Natsu he imparted the knowledge their hoard was to be protected. For if their treasure fell into the greedy hands of man, darkness of a new kind would spread over the land. The magic of a dark curse, until any capable of being conjured by man or beast, would crush them all._

_For in their hoard they carried many divine scrolls, wrenched from the holds of gods. They were the guardians of horrible magic. But not all they guarded was evil. Among those was a blackened key, the gateway to the stars. Ophiuchus the serpent bearer._

_It was entrusted to Igneel for safekeeping by the goddess of the stars herself. Passed on through the years, the dragons guarded their hoard with a jealousy which became common lore. It was not like a dragon to share._

_Natsu was no different._

_He wrestled with his nest brother, an iron dragon of rust and bolts, Gajeel. Both of them were fighting over the softest bite of the cattle the nest dragged in. Knowing it was the tastiest part of the kill, neither wanted the other to have it. As such they didn't notice a giggling gust of wind snatch it from under their noses. Both were left staring in shock as the swift sky dragoness sat upon the cattle like a throne._

_"You should share" the young girl chided, hopping off to give the two elder dragons a huffy pout. She used sharp talons to cut ribbons of equal sized strips into the flank, tossing the bloody pieces to her brothers._

_"Way to take the fun out of it Wendy," Natsu caught his in his mouth, his complaints coming out muffled around the chunk of meat closed around his fangs._

_"Yeah I was about to kick the little Salamander's ass," Gajeel let out a rumbling laugh, an eerie sound that was reminiscent of grinding metal._

_Wendy looked at a loss for words. A lack of understanding for how boys settled their problems set on her face and she gave the two of them an apologetic look._

_"S-sorry."_

_The two males looked at one another, then turned towards Wendy. Identical smirks flashed over their faces, chunks of steak dangling from full mouths. Together they pounced on her as a unit, roars of laughter bouncing off the gilded cavern walls._

_Soon Wendy was giggling along with them, zipping around to escape her brother's grasping holds. She was as swift as the wind she skated across, her long blue hair whipping behind her in streamers. Small fangs bared in a smile as she managed to blow a gust of air at the ground to throw herself up in the air, just out of reach of the two male dragons._

_A stream of fire put paid to her laughs though, as Natsu launched himself up with sheer explosive power. He roared in delight as he plucked her from the air, flipping down to land on his toes. Rocking, he balanced Wendy on his shoulder and flashed a grin back at her in victory. _

"_Sorry Wendy, but I win this time," Natsu grinned._

_Pouting when he dropped her, Wendy moved over to Gajeel. The iron dragon dropped a large hand on her small head, his odd laugh grinding out from his throat._

"_No fair, you two always pick on me."_

"_Gihee," Gajeel snorted, "Get a thicker hind girlie. This ain't gonna change any time soon until you get your wings."_

_Dragons, like many creatures, went through hatchling and fledgling phases just as other creatures did. Born from an egg, they appeared human for the first parts of their lives until they gained their draconic features. Fangs and reptilian eyes were inherit staples of their race as even in their human form they remained. But the scales and talons came next. Then, as the hatchlings entered their fledgling stage, they gained their horns and tails. Towards the end of the cycle, fledglings would grow their wings, thus unlocking their ability to transform into a full dragon at will._

_Wendy pouted up at Gajeel, clearly not taken with her brother's idea of 'comfort.' Rebellious to the core, as most dragons were, she swatted at him and elbowed Natsu in the solar plexus, causing the latter to wheeze._

"_Rebellion, uprising!" Natsu gasped, "This is traitorous behavior Wendy!"_

"_Then come get me your 'majesty,'" Wendy teased, a smile on her face. Although she looked extremely apologetic for nailing Natsu with her elbow. Her brother seemed to shrug the blow off. To an older dragon like him, it probably hadn't even registered as more than a tickle._

_Natsu coughed._

_Okay, more like a sucker punch._

_Still, the dragons in their nest were content. They trained, fought, and protected one another to the best of their ability. They transformed as fluid into one form as another, and the skies belonged to them. For without wings, a dragon was nothing._

_It was unfortunate but one-day even humans, bold as they were, could triumph over the might of dragons. _

_The change was not immediate. No, at first it came slow. A messenger here, requesting access to the dragon's hoard, a follower there. Igneel turned the mortals away once. Then when they returned a second time, belligerent and with guards in tow, Igneel turned them away twice. The third time the messenger came, greed in his eyes and hunger in his soul, Igneel vaporized him and his compatriots. _

_Human life was precious. It was a virtue Igneel always believed in, but he would not wait for a battalion of ships to march down his nest. He was confident in the strength of his dragons, but he would not throw an open invitation of war to those who were willing to try and steal from him. If he could avoid a war by setting an example, then he would._

_However, not even he was prepared for the Queen._

_A Queen with a heart as blackened and bitter as the magic she commanded. Manipulating space itself to trick and fool her way through the defenses of the dragons. Portals. Ones that could devour attacks and fling them back at the dragons, renown for the ability to resist attacks._

_Unless done by another dragon. _

_Fire, iron, air, light and shadow – all were devoured by the portals of space, and each one sent back on their comrades. The strategy of the dragons were to fight as a unit. Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy, along with their siblings Sting and Rogue were used to predator formations, flanking and swarming. Unfortunately, such a tactic worked out in favor for the Queen._

_Natsu roared out in pain as broken wings folded under him, a shudder of agony rippling up his back. The ripped membrane of the wings fluttered in useless holes against the ground, pierced by rods of unbreakable iron. Robbed of flight in one blow. _

_He howled in agony, his claws scratching at the column of metal rising from his side. Natsu was pinned into the ground, the iron from Gajeel's redirected attack impaling him into the cavern floor. He didn't dare shift forms while so badly injured, but he couldn't move like this._

_Roaring out a jet of fire, he struggled to attack. Struggled to fight. But his family. His nest, they were getting torn apart in front of him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it._

_Igneel fought the Queen. And while she herself was fragile and easily breakable, her forces were distracting, and the deceiving nature of her magic was too terrible for words. Even the might of Igneel flagged under the onslaught of attacks. The sheer volume of her attacks, mixed with the blows of dragons put an end to the battle._

_In drops of flame and burning ash, Natsu watched from his pinned position as Igneel fell to the ground. _

_Natsu roared his pain, his body lashing the ground from where he was pinned. Fury made him overheat, and the iron melted down in his wound, softening just enough to give Natsu space to rip himself free. Bleeding, and in dizzying bad shape, the smaller fire dragon crawled over to his father, his claws dragging him across the rocky, broken ground. _

_His body passed over golden coins, each one pressing into his wounds and a grinding reminder of their losses. Natsu's tears welled in golden eyes, burning down the scales across his muzzle once he dragged himself to his father's side. He nudged him with his nose, broken wings cracking in an agony he no longer could feel. _

"_Pops," he nudged him with his nose. Natsu's chest heaved in pain, diving his head down to hook his snout under Igneel's head. He lifted it up, trying to lift his father's body, even in his state, "Pops don't— __**please**__ don't—."_

"_Your father is dead," The Queen's voice drifted over to him. She watched him through cruel eyes. The woman was beautiful; there was no mistaking that, but the hard lines of cruelty on her face made her beauty shallow. And her words, they were biting and wicked._

_She walked over the body of Igneel, encouraging a roar of fury from Natsu, the bellows of his injured nest echoing his snarl. To his frustration, the Queen looked unaffected by his snarls. Instead she held up a small tarnished key, the sight of which caused Natsu's heart to freeze in his chest. As a fire dragon, he never felt cold. But if he were to think of anything but the fact that the woman who killed his father was holding their most precious treasure in her hand, Natsu would have been amazed by the icy flood filling his veins._

"_This is all that I came for, how sad," She sneered at Natsu, "Had you pathetic lizards just given me what I wanted to begin with, your precious father might still be alive."_

_She ground her heel into Igneel's bloodied chest._

"_You monster," Natsu growled, claws digging deep grooves into the cavern floor. The inability to give up a fight ran through him like it was his blood itself. So he did the only thing he could do._

_He flicked his tail up, smacking it into the back of the Queen's wretched hand, causing the key to go sailing through the air. Natsu opened his mouth, snapping his jaws around it and swallowing it down in one gulp. He allowed himself a smirk at the furious snarl that twisted across her face. Natsu chuckled, dropping his head down along his claws._

"_You should know your majesty, that a fire dragon's stomach burns hotter than any foundry. It can melt down anything, magical or otherwise," Natsu's muzzle spread into a large, fangy smirk. The wounds he had sustained were beginning to catch up to him, and Natsu's vision began to grow black around the corners, "Your key is gone."_

"_You would destroy your own treasure?" She spat in disbelief, "I am Queen Minerva! You worms should know better than to act out against your betters!"_

_He closed his eyes, turning his exhausted gaze up to the woman who robbed his nest of piece. Hate filled his heart with fire and grief, but satisfaction he stopped her plan unfolded on his face. He was growing light hearted fast, and his head swayed. Darkness invaded his vision, the voices of his next growing distant in the background._

"_Better destroyed then in your hands," said Natsu, satisfied by the rage on her face. Pleased that no matter what, the Queen would not get what she wanted, Natsu's body went slack and his world went black._

_-::-_

Natsu's eyes snapped open, sleep fading fast from his face. His head lifted off the pillow in his bed, the bottom sheet of his blanket twisted around his ankles. A hard gasp ripped from his chest when he twisted in just the wrong way to cause a sharp ache in his side. His hand shot to his abdomen, a throbbing pain lancing through his body. Wincing, he kicked off the blankets down to his waist, his palm pressing hard against the old scars that crossed the area.

What a weird dream.

Dragons, Queens and Keys. Natsu groaned, rubbing his stomach and curling up out of bed. He swung his legs over the edge, his hand diving into his hair. Groaning, he stood up and stretched, scratching his back. He walked over to the mirror against the wall, taking a look at his side. There was no sign of inflammation or that it was opening up again. No signs of bruising either. Already the pain was just a distant memory.

He sighed and rubbed it, walking to his closet to pull out a pair of sweat pants, a shirt and sneakers for his morning jog. If there wasn't an issue, he didn't have to worry about it. Unfortunately it did bring up the hazy memory of how he had gotten the scar.

It was a fire.

Most things involved fire.

Natsu hated it. Hated fire more than anything else in the world. The swell of the flames, the path of destruction it ate, it was terrible. It was because of the nature of fire, that he lost his father. Igneel, the only father Natsu had ever known. Even though he and Happy were adopted, the three of them were happy. Until the day they weren't.

He was with Happy and Igneel, the three of them eating dinner for a weekly meet up. Natsu was telling his dad about the promotion he received at the firehouse. Lieutenant. It was irony at its best.

A gas line broke or something…

The memories were so hazy. All Natsu knew was he was waking up on his back, a long spike of rebar jutting from his side. Happy was curled up like a feline, tucked near Natsu. And Igneel—…

Igneel was gone.

By the time the firefighters cleared the wreckage and got them out, Natsu had blacked out from blood loss. He was patched back together at the hospital, all thoughts of transportation and how he got there just a muddy mess in his head. He knew the Mayor herself, a slimy woman unlike any other, visited him. She apologized for the damages to his home and life, and encouraged him to think properly about where he lived from then on.

If her words were meant to be comforting, Natsu hadn't found a shred of kindness in them.

The memory was fitful and watery, like he couldn't quite grasp it. It was elusive and free from his grasp. The memories of his dream bringing up memories of his past. How strange he would substitute the characters in his dream with actions that happened in real life. Strange indeed.

He jogged through the woods and across the beach, working up a sweat as he moved. Trying to escape the memory of losing his father, his legs ate up ground. Natsu moved in mindless patterns, grateful he was off work. So what if he had to work twenty four straight hours if he got forty eight off? It meant he had no where to be for a while, although he had to make sure Happy was up in time to eat breakfast before going to school.

A quick check to his watch told Natsu it was time to head back. Pounding out the last few bits of road, he slapped his palm against a sign for a marker before twisting around and turning back around.

Finally, he came to a halt outside of Grannies, his eyes landing on a familiar figure sitting out in the early morning frost, looking barely bundled up and miserable.

It was that Heartfilia girl. Loony? Luigi?

_Lucy_.

He saw how cold and frozen she looked, standing out in the morning cold. It was chilly Natsu guessed, but he had always been hot blooded. To get him cold took a huge effort. Aside from the time that damn bastard Gray locked him in the freezer in Grannies, he didn't get cold. Lucky him he guessed, but Lucy looked miserable.

In her gloved hands she was holding onto a cup of hot chocolate for dear life. It was raised to stiff blue lips that took tiny sips every few minutes. In front of her stood the Mayor herself. A cold woman, with sharp cruel eyes and a superior smile. The mayor was quite cozy, wrapped in rich furs and thick coats. Poor Lucy.

It was just last night all of her belongings blew up in a fiery hell. He guessed that was why she didn't look like she was at all put together. In fact, all she had on was a thin coat and gloves. It looked like her meatier coat had been reduced to ash in the fire. She could probably use a scarf too.

Natsu jogged in close enough to catch a part of the conversation. But now that he was close enough, he could see Lucy's eyes narrowing in annoyance. He couldn't blame her; the Mayor had that effect on people.

" As I was saying, there were some discrepancies in the fire report, that raised a few red flags, I'm told there was an accelerant used in the fire," the Mayor said with an even smile, "I'm afraid your stay in this town might be extended indefinitely Ms. Heartfilia while we get this sorted out. You'll be held in jail for the duration of your trial."

What?

Natsu couldn't ignore that, especially since Lucy looked stricken. That was _his_ report he filed on the crash. There was definitely some suspicious activity in relation to her car blowing up like the finale at a fourth of July parade, but it wasn't on her end.

He jogged towards them, catching his palms on the picket fence. His fingers curled around it, just a few feet away from where he was leaning against the previous night.

"Madam Mayor, what was that I just heard to say about Ms. Heartfilia? You're going to take her into custody for arson?" Natsu asked her, his eyes going wide in shock. His hands flexed against the barrier between them.

"Not that it's any of your business Lieutenant, but yes. I am ordering her arrest," She said, a cruel smile drawing over her face, "I can't abide having a vagrant on the streets."

Not his business? How was it not his business? She was going to try and use his report to throw an innocent woman in jail. Natsu's eyes narrowed, his hands gripping the wood in tight fistfuls, "Mayor Minerva, if you'd read my report you'd see that she wasn't anywhere near the point of origin! The chemical used in the fire was fast burning when exposed to air with a volatile ignition. Lucy was getting hot chocolate at the time!"

Lucy's entire body jerked towards him over his words.

"What, wait back up there," Lucy protested, waving a hand for Natsu's attention, "You mean to tell me someone blew up my car on _purpose_?"

A sheepish look flashed over his face and Natsu gulped. The Mayor turned an unimpressed glare on him.

"Well the arson investigator hasn't made a complete report yet— " Natsu tried to cover up, but was cut off by Minerva.

The woman scoffed, "What this idiot is trying to say, is that you are not at liberty to know the details of your own case."

Her eyes turned into cold daggers, glaring at Natsu like he was some sort of insect barely worth her attention. For some reason, the mayor had always disliked him. If he was honest, he held an irrational hatred for the woman as well. All he knew is that he sure as hell never voted the woman into office.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Minerva asked, a cutting smile lifting the corners of perfectly painted lips, "You have to see your little brother to school now don't you? It would be a shame for someone to think you were neglecting him to pursue a frivolous argument."

The threat was underlying in her words.

The bite of frustrating obedience welled up in the back of his throat. Natsu's sense of justice warred with his desire to keep custody of his little brother. It was a threat Minerva always dangled over his head to keep him in line. His fingers dug into the splintering wood with a furious squeeze. Natsu's shoulders trembled with rage and blood roared in his temples.

As mayor, her word went far against his, especially considering the dangers of Natsu's job and the all-nighters he had to pull every forty-eight hours. His body shook and it felt like fire was swelling in his lungs. It rolled through his stomach, pushing up against his chest, crawling against his ribs – dying, no, begging to be released into the world.

A pale hand dropped onto his forearm, snapping his attention upwards towards the owner.

Lucy's eyes were focused on his. They were firm and unyielding, determination outlined over her entire body.

"It's okay Natsu, go on. I can take care of this," The reporter said faithfully.

Natsu wasn't so sure she could. Minerva was playing dirty, covering evidence up and directing it somewhere else. Lucy's touch was relaxing though, and he couldn't help but let tension drain from his body.

This was far from over.

But one thing was right, he had to get Happy up and ready for school.

Afterwards though, he was getting Lucy out of jail.

Not exactly what he planned for his day off – but he would take it.

-::-

_**Here is your filthy update! Hahahaha, yeah OUAT has updated FINALLY. I hope this doesn't confuse anyone. **_


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